In Islamic scripture, the word “Sirāt” means a bridge or pathway that connects paradise and hell that only the righteous can cross. In the opening credits of director Oliver Laxe’s (Mimosas; Fire Will Come) film Sirāt, he tells us that… Read More ›
Spanish
Slow-paced thriller “Dreams” crawls onto home video through Kino Lorber.
When word came down that Jessica Chastain (Crimson Peak) was making an erotic thriller, it was an announcement that felt both intriguing and out of left field. An acclaimed character actress taking on a risky role that requires both physical… Read More ›
Disquieting and poignant amid beautifully grotesque scenes, Alberto Vázquez’s fantastical farce “Decorado” ponders the risk of questioning one’s reality and the reward of truth.
What matters more: that something *is* real or that it *feels* real? If we’re talking about art or a prosthetic, then the recreation may provide the satisfaction desired. Possessing mere artifice may be all that’s needed in order to achieve… Read More ›
Jonás Cuarón’s novel adaptation “Campeón Gabacho” exalts the power of hope and community at a time we need it most. [SXSW]
Despite all the arguments for America First ideology as a way to preserve the United States with the ideology formed on a basis of Christian Nationalism, it’s a belief system that cannot stand in the wake of actual data and… Read More ›
Horror comedy “Fifteen” proudly owns its full identity as its leads attempt to find theirs. [SXSW]
Growing up is hell. I can only fathom being a girl is that much more hellacious as that’s an entirely different game and strategy on how to fit in, be popular, and make friends. None of it is easy, all… Read More ›
“The Old Man and the Parrot” intermingles comedy and drama in a story of love and loss that may just soothe the soul. [Slamdance]
There are many ways to process grief. Some of them are beneficial, accompanied by a sense of healing and the ability to move on from the pain and loss, while others are like an anchor, prohibiting one from moving on… Read More ›
“Magellan:” Everything is Magellan now.
In the opening shot of Magellan (2025), an Indigenous Malaysian woman walks into a stream, filling a vessel. Suddenly, she spots a white man past the fourth wall of the proscenium and takes off running. She shouts through her village… Read More ›
A great documentary of one great filmmaker watching another, Les Blank’s “Burden of Dreams” gets a 4K re-release courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
In the rare event where game recognizes game or a filmmaker puts his camera on another filmmaker, there’s no telling what moments of unflinching honesty and remarkable ambition you will find. In his 1982 film Burden of Dreams, documentarian Les… Read More ›
Bruno Martín’s crime thriller “Luger” is a lean mean machine with bone-crushing action. [Fantastic Fest]
Nothing is valuable until someone says it is. This may seem obvious, but entire systems are built around what society (locally or globally) deems as worthy of monetary value. It’s why everything from the obvious (gold and jewels) to the… Read More ›
“Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires (Batman Azteca: Choque de imperios)” clings so tightly to its DC roots that it stifles the flair when it embraces its Mexican influence.
In 1991, DC Comics published Batman: Holy Terror, a tale featuring an alternate history for the United States in which it remained a Commonwealth of the United Kingdom. It shifts the origin story we know of Bruce Wayne into Batman… Read More ›
Filmmaker José María Cabral’s documentary “42nd Street” raises more questions than it answers.
There are certain places in this world that draw people to them. The ones to come to immediately to mind in the U.S. are Los Angeles, California, or New York City, New York, as cornerstones of music, theater, and entertainment… Read More ›
The clear potential in “The Devil Smokes” gets hampered by narrative indecision and a need for stronger directorial discipline. [SFFILM]
The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box) (El diablo fuma (y guarda las cabezas de los cerillos quemados en la misma caja)), also listed simply as The Devil Smokes, is an ambitious and visually arresting… Read More ›
Criterion’s 4K edition of “Cronos” offers nothing new past the restoration.
If anyone knows me, then you know I champion Criterion and their releases. They’re usually some of the best of the best, bar none to any other release in terms of quality of release (and quality control) and features. While… Read More ›
“Emilia Pérez” dazzles with its operatic style and frustrates with its masked hollowness.
Redemption stories come in a great many forms. Time loops stories utilize the constriction created by a repeated day(s) to force introspection and change, the loop broken in comedies (Groundhog Day), dramas (The Map of Tiny Perfect Things), and horror… Read More ›
First-time feature filmmaker Robie Flores explores the liminal spaces and mundane moments of life in experimental doc “The In Between.”[NOFF]
“And so he told me his secret formula for happiness. Part one of the two-part plan was that I should just get on with ordinary life, living it day by day, like anyone else. But then came part two of… Read More ›
Tragic, whimsical romance “Daniela Forever” perfectly doses audiences with Nacho Vigalondo’s trademark story-telling. [TIFF]
Have you heard of writer/director Nacho Vigalondo? If you haven’t, you’re truly missing out. While he’s certainly not new to the scene, he has cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with when it comes to weird, insane, crazy… Read More ›
Horror thriller “The Coffee Table” weaponizes intrusive thoughts and interpersonal tension to upend audiences from uncomfortable start to disquieting end.
“For want of a nail …” Requiem for a Dream (2000), The Fountain (2006), and Uncut Gems (2019) are examples of a type of film which is well-made, thoughtful, subject to acclaim, and less likely to be revisited, the latter… Read More ›
The Criterion Collection adds Mikhail Kalatozov’s drama “I Am Cuba” into the collection.
Films can be more than just the latest sci-fi/superhero blockbuster or summer comedy. Some films aspire to teach audiences lessons and history. I Am Cuba (Soy Cuba), a 1964 political propaganda film, is one such story. Its historical richness and… Read More ›
“Lucha: A Wrestling Tale” captures the ways lessons work on and off the mat. [SBIFF]
In American high school sports, for most schools, it’s football, basketball, and maybe soccer as the big three. Sure, you can run cross country, maybe play tennis, but down on the lower rungs of high school competition (in terms of… Read More ›
“Satanic Hispanics” on Blu-ray falls short as an anthology.
No one who is involved in making movies goes out of their way to make anything less than spectacular. This does not mean every movie is going to be gold, nor does it mean every movie is going to be… Read More ›